STATEMENT OF BRENDA BARRETT, NATIONAL COORDINATOR FOR HERITAGE AREAS,
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND
NATURAL RESOURCES, CONCERNING S. 1609 AND H.R. 1814, TO AMEND THE NATIONAL
TRAILS SYSTEM ACT TO DESIGNATE THE METACOMET-MONADNOCK-MATTABESETT TRAIL
EXTENDING THROUGH WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND CENTRAL CONNECTICUT FOR STUDY FOR
POTENTIAL ADDITION TO THE NATIONAL TRAILS SYSTEM.

June 20, 2002

Mr. Chairman, thank you for
the opportunity to appear before your committee to present the views of the
Department of the Interior on S. 1609 and H.R. 1814, bills to amend the
National Trails System Act to designate the Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett
Trail extending through western Massachusetts and central Connecticut for study
for potential addition to the National Trails System.The trail would traverse in a north-south direction from Falls
Brook at the New Hampshire/Massachusetts state line and extend to the Long Island
Sound east of New Haven, Connecticut.

The Department supports this
study, with a technical amendment noted at the end of this testimony.However, we did not request additional
funding for this study in fiscal year 2003.We believe that any funding requested should be directed towards
completing previously authorized studies.There are 37 studies pending currently, of which we hope to transmit at
least seven to Congress by the end of 2002.To meet the President’s Initiative to eliminate the deferred maintenance
backlog, we must continue to focus our resources on caring for existing areas
in the National Park System.We caution
that our support of this legislation authorizing a study does not necessarily
mean that the Department will support designations of these segments as
additions to the National Trails System.

The purpose of both bills is
to conduct a study to determine the suitability for inclusion in the National
Trails System of this 180-mile extended trail, which could eventually connect the
Metacomet-Monadnock Trail in Western Massachusetts with Long Island Sound in
Connecticut.The Trail would largely
follow existing trails linking the Metacomet-Monadnock Trail in Massachusetts
and Connecticut, to the Mattabesett Trail in Connecticut.New trail sections would need to be
developed in Connecticut linking the Mattabesett Trail to Long Island
Sound.Other shorter gaps would also
need to be filled.The great majority
of this trail is located on private land.Outside of sections of trail on state lands, the trail currently is
permitted to cross private land through a variety of agreements with the
landowners.As part of this study,
these agreements should be examined to ensure that the National Park Service
works cooperatively with private landowners in an effort to continue public
access across these private lands if the trail is designated.

Although the region was
heavily traveled by Native Americans, for whom the trails have been named, it
is not an historic route.Each section
was conceived and built by local trail enthusiasts and much of the work was
initiated in the late 1950’s.The
Connecticut Forest and Park Association has been the primary steward of the
Mattabesett Trail and the Connecticut portion of the Metacomet Trail.The Appalachian Mountain Club, through its
Berkshire Chapter, has picked up the responsibility for the Metacomet –
Monadnock Trail in Massachusetts.Organized volunteers provide the management and maintenance for each trail
segment.If the trail was designated as
part of the National Trails System, then existing trail clubs would be given
the opportunity to assume a leadership role in working with landowners and
communities to address any concerns they may have.

The existing sections of
this proposed trail have similar scenic and recreational characteristics to the
segments of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in Massachusetts and
Connecticut.The trails provide for a
rare opportunity for multi-day, overnight hiking trips in highly populated
Connecticut and Massachusetts.In
Connecticut and Massachusetts, the state governments and well-established
trails organizations have made substantial commitments to the existing trail
sections.Our experience with other
national scenic and historic trails shows that trail clubs can and should
assume a leadership role in working with landowners and communities, addressing
their concerns to make their trails successful.The opportunity for good partnering exists in both states and is
worthy of further exploration.

In June 2001, Secretary Gale
Norton designated two sections of the Metacomet–Monadnock Trail as a national
recreation trail, recognizing the outstanding scenic features, geological
formations, and natural and cultural resources along the route.There are well over 800 national recreation
trails in the National Trails System.The designation as a national trail proposed inS. 1609 and H.R. 1814
would, if successful, provide more extensive Federal involvement,
through the authorities of the National Trails System Act for this chain of
trails.

The National Park Service supports this proposed study, as
the existing trail segments possess many of the characteristics required of a
national scenic trail.Only through
further investigation will it be possible to determine if it is feasible and
suitable for inclusion in the National Trails System.Furthermore, in order to better plan for the future of our
national parks, we believe that any such studies should carefully examine the
full life cycle operation and maintenance costs that would result from each
alternative considered.

If this legislation is
enacted and funds are available, the National Park Service would launch a study
of the existing and proposed trails segments to evaluate the support for the
trail, the impacts of federal involvement on the communities and private
property it passes through, and the resources that would be opened for public
use.The study would take approximately
three years to complete and would, at a minimum, follow the requirements listed
in section 5(b) of the National Trails System Act.Through this process, the National Park Service looks forward to
working with and hearing the valuable input of the hundreds of communities that
these trails cross in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The long title of S. 1609
refers to conducting a study on the feasibility of designating the
Metacomet-Monadnock-Mattabesett Trail as a national historic trail.We would like to clarify that this trail has
the potential to be a national scenic trail, instead of a national historic
trail, and recommend amending the long title accordingly.

Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to
comment.This concludes my prepared
remarks and I will be happy to answer any questions you or other committee
members might have.